Georgetown agency provides free window air conditioners

Contractors working for the First State Summer Cooling Program unwrap and inspect a window air conditioner. The program offers free air conditioners to low-income households that meet specific requirements.(Photo: Image by First State CAA)

There is summer relief for low-income households during the hottest months thanks to a federally-funded program.

The Summer Cooling Assistance Program, administered by the First State Community Action Agency, offers window air conditioning units free of charge to qualifying families.

First State has been offering the program from April through September every year for about a decade, but many people still do not know that it exists, said spokesperson Kaneisha Trott.

Households that meet income and other requirements will receive a new, Energy Star compliant window unit professionally installed, at no cost to them.

Applicants must be 60 years of age or older, legally disabled, or have children under the age of five. Household income must be at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines, and the household must not have benefitted previously from the program.

The program is funded by a grant from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, administered under a contract between Delaware Health and Human Services' Division of State Service Centers and First State.

First State is a non-profit organization based in Georgetown. The agency was federally recognized in 1966 as part of a network of regional agencies that receive federal aid to combat poverty. These Community Action Agencies were mandated by the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964. First State is the only such agency in Delaware.

The program, which targets needy citizens especially vulnerable to high temperatures, is part of First State's larger HELP Programs initiative. The acronym stands for Healthy homes, Energy-efficient, Lead-safe, People-centric.

HELP also administers the free DE-Lead professional environmental lead removal service, and a fall/winter counterpart to the cooling program that repairs or replaces key components of a home's primary heating system. In all three programs, recipients must meet income and demographic requirements and all work is done by licensed and vetted professional contractors.

Contractors vetted by First State Community Action Agency install an air conditioner. The units are supplied and installed free of charge to qualifying households.(Photo: Image by First State CAA)

Trott said 119 units were installed as of the week of July 4. In Kent and Sussex Counties, this works out to six to eight installations per day, and eight to 10 per day in New Castle County. Trott said the goal is to install 650 units by Sept. 30.

Last year, only 350 were installed, but New Castle was administered by a different agency then. This year, First State is administering the entire state.

Smart usage is the key

The goal is not to just cool the home, but to teach energy consciousness and conservation. The program's slogan is "Stay cool, be healthy, be more conscious of energy usage."

First State tracks energy efficiency and improvements over program recipients' previous energy and water usage. "Eco-kits" offered by the agency provide low-pressure shower heads and toilet floats to conserve water, and energy-efficient light bulbs.

Contractors survey recipients' homes to determine the best location and placement for the air conditioning units and other devices, and the proper devices to use.

Trott said that the program receives a lot of calls from households whose current air conditioning unit is malfunctioning or recently defunct, especially in the current temperatures when such units are being used around the clock.

Some applicants try to make do with electric fans, but in the summer heat this only serves to push the heat around.

Trott shared stories about elderly recipients so incapacitated by heat when their air conditioning failed that neighbors tried to contact authorities on their behalf and were redirected to First State.

She said exposure to high temperatures also can cause health problems like dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, and heat stroke, especially in vulnerable age groups like the elderly and very young children.

Advertising funds are limited, and a lot of people are simply unaware that the program exists, she said.

For more information about the Summer Cooling Program or other First State programs visit www.firststatecaa.org or call 1-800-372-2240.